


Help Me If You Can (I'm Feeling Down)

by Shadowc44



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Not Blaine or Klaine Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 03:38:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14096379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowc44/pseuds/Shadowc44
Summary: Alternate to episode 501, this is a different "Beatles week" fix-it. The morning after taking Kurt to the airport after the proposal, Burt hasn’t heard from him that he got home safely, and starts to worry.Rating: PG for swearing, concepts.





	Help Me If You Can (I'm Feeling Down)

It was the day after the big “surprise” proposal, and Burt was concerned. He’d driven Kurt to the airport as soon as he could pry him away from people wanting to congratulate him, though more seemed to be congratulating Blaine. His bags had already been in the car. But Kurt hadn’t called him when he got home to the apartment. He usually did, just to let him know he’d gotten home safely.

After a half-day at work, he’d decided he really needed to find out where Kurt was, and why he hadn’t called. He went home to make some calls.

His first call was to Blaine’s father, after finally getting his number from Sam, to try to plan whatever parental things would need to be done for the wedding. It did not go well. Mr. Anderson claimed they didn’t know anything about any proposal, or a ring, and no, their son had never had a boyfriend, named Kurt or anything else. And no more prank calls would be tolerated, good day.

Very, very strange. He’d thought it a bit odd the Andersons weren’t at the proposal, but figured they were undoubtedly busy people. But how could Blaine have not even told them he was dating Kurt, let alone wanted to marry him?

Burt checked his phone and his e-mail again. He still hadn’t heard from Kurt. 

He called the airline, to make sure Kurt hadn’t missed the flight. No, he’d been on the correct flight, and had presumably de-boarded at JFK.

He called Rachel, though he wasn’t sure if she’d made it back to New York yet either.

No luck there; she was expecting Kurt to just show up whenever he showed up, but he wasn’t there, and neither were the clothes he had taken with him, once she checked. 

“He might have had to go in to work as soon as he got back. Vogue.com has him working some really crazy hours sometimes. Have you got their number?”

“I’ve got it. But didn’t he have some important mid-term or something this morning?”

“Oh, right, he did. Maybe he stayed up all night practicing. Um, somewhere else, because he wasn’t here.”

“I guess you didn’t see him at school today?”

“No, we take some of the same classes but at different times. I’m sorry, Burt, but I’ve got to go. I have to get to work in half an hour, and I need to finish getting my uniform on. I’m sure Kurt is fine, and he’ll turn up. He probably went to school, or work, and spent the night there, then went to his class. I’m sure you’ll hear from him.”

He thanked her, and called Kurt’s work number. The receptionist was a little snippy, and said if Kurt had been there, she wouldn’t be filling in for him right now.

He thanked her and hung up.

Where else could Kurt be? Had he maybe gone to talk to that British guy he was sort of dating before? What was his name…damn.

“Rachel? It’s Burt. I’m sorry to bother you again. I was thinking, maybe Kurt went to talk to that guy he was dating before, what’s his name…”

“Adam? I don’t think so. I saw him at school this morning, and he actually avoided me. He looked like someone had run over his puppy. Poor Adam. He’s a really nice guy, and he was a good friend for Kurt. I think maybe he thought they were more than friends.”

“What happened with them?”

She was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry, it’s not my place to tell you, and I don’t really know for sure anyway. Ask Kurt, and I’m sure he’ll tell you.”

He gritted his teeth. “I’ll be sure to ask him, when I FIND him. Just in case, have you got this Adam’s number?”

He heard Rachel sigh, but she apparently found the number, and gave it to him.

“Do you need anything else, Burt? I’m almost at work.”

He was suddenly so very tired. “No, Rachel, you’ve done enough. Thanks for your help. And please, if you hear from Kurt, or he shows up at the loft, have him call me, okay? I don’t care how late it is. I need to know he’s safe.”

“Oh, I’m sure he is. Maybe he ran into Santana and they’re out somewhere.”

“With his luggage? Without coming home to shower and change clothes and do whatever he does to his hair?”

She gasped. “You’re right. But I’ll call Santana anyway, just in case she’s heard from him. I’ll let you know one way or the other.”

He knew she already had his phone number, in case of emergencies.

“Thanks, Rachel. I appreciate it.”

He didn’t want to call Adam and open up that can of worms. It seemed like he and Kurt had make a clean break of it, so Kurt wouldn’t have gone to him.

He talked to Carole when she came home from work. They started fixing dinner together as they talked.

“I wish I knew for sure Kurt was safe and at home in New York. He did get on the flight, so I’m sure he got to the airport, at least.”

“Would he have maybe taken another flight somewhere else, once he got to New York?” Carole asked.

He could see by her expression she didn’t actually believe it.

“No. Where would he go? He had to be in class today. He told me there was some midterm test he absolutely had to pass.”

“Could he have gone to the library, or school, studying, or practicing?”

“No, I’m sure Rachel’s right, he wouldn’t go anywhere without dropping off his suitcase at home, changing and getting cleaned up. And he’d have called as soon as he heard I was looking for hm.”

Carole stopped stirring the soup and turned the burner down. “So where is he?”

Burt rubbed his face, exhausted but not sleepy. “I really wish I knew.”

“Do you think Blaine might know?”

“Sure! I bet that’s it. He’s probably missing him already, and you know how they get once they start talking. But he should have gone straight home. I don’t understand,” Burt sighed.

Carole patted him on the shoulder. “You’d better call Blaine. He might know where he is. At least he should know you’re concerned about where he is.”

Burt called Blaine’s number, and a very annoyed voice answered.

“It’s Burt, and it’s important, Blaine!” Burt insisted. “It’s about Kurt.”

“Why did you tell my parents?” Burt could hear the whine in Blaine’s voice, and wondered if it sounded as irritating to Kurt.

“Well when were you going to tell them?”

“Soon. I mean, they’ll have to pay for the wedding. I don’t expect you to be able to pay for it. Normally, I guess you would be paying, but my parents can afford it easier than you can.”

Burt allowed himself to get a little distracted, trying to figure out what Blaine meant. He ignored the slur on his income level. “What are you talking about, normally I would be paying?”

“You know, traditionally the groom’s family pays for the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, and the bride’s family pays for the wedding and reception.”

“What the hell? Blaine, Kurt is not going to be your bride! He’ll be your husband, not your wife.”

“Well, no, you’re right, but –“

“And isn’t this equality in marriage thing about actual equality? It makes sense to me if both families pay. Or in this case, maybe you should pay for it yourselves.”

“But –“

He didn’t have time for this shit now, but he should probably talk to Kurt about it when he could.

“Blaine, I haven’t heard from Kurt. Have you?”

“No, not since yesterday. Isn’t he home in Bushwick yet?”

“No, he’s not. I called him, several times, and Rachel, and she hasn’t seen him.”

“Oh, well, he always zigs when you think he’s gonna zag. He must have stopped somewhere along the way, from the airport to home.”

“No, Blaine, I don’t –“

Burt heard raised voices in the background.

“Whoops, sorry, gotta go. Tell Kurt to call me when you hear from him.”

“But Blaine –“

Burt heard the dial tone.

Great. Blaine seemed more concerned about his parents knowing about the engagement, than about Kurt’s whereabouts. That wasn’t good.

“Hey, Carole, did you get more Pepto-Bismol?” He knew his stomach-ache was from anxiety, rather than any health problem. But with Finn and sometimes Kurt popping up, and Sam still in residence, he and Carole were going through the anti-acid medicine pretty quickly these days.

She brought him the bottle and a spoon.

Burt went ahead and called Adam, while Carole finished making dinner.

Burt was a little surprised to hear a British accent when his call was answered. Even more surprised that the kid didn’t sound that young.

“Hello, um, Adam?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

“My name is Burt Hummel. You might not –“

“You’re Kurt’s father. Is he alright?”

Burt could hear the concern in the man’s voice. This was no college freshman.

“I’m not sure. He flew back to New York tonight, but I haven’t heard from him. He’s usually really good about calling me when he gets back to the loft.”

“Yes, he doesn’t want to worry you.”

How the hell did he know that?

“I know it’s not likely, but I wanted to know if you’d seen him or heard from him. I guess not, or –“

“Mr. Hummel, I haven’t seen Kurt since just before he left for Ohio. He called to tell me your test results were good, and I was very happy to hear that. But I haven’t heard from him since. Not directly.”

Burt sighed. Why was this so hard? It sounded like the man was actually hurt. But when he’d asked Kurt about the guy he’d been seeing, he’d just looked away and said, “It wasn’t as serious as I thought. I realized I still loved Blaine, and didn’t want to hurt him.” But he’d bitten his lip, and had been fiddling with the heart pin he was wearing, which was odd. Kurt liked to leave his accessories alone once he had them fixed up right.

Burt tried to stay focused on the present. “Look, I don’t know what happened with you and my son, and it’s none of my business, but I thought maybe he went to see you. I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

“Mr. Hummel, wait, please don’t hang up.”

Was that panic in this guy’s voice?

“I’m here. What is it?”

“Will you please let me know when Kurt contacts you? I don’t know if he’ll want to call me directly, but I really do care about him, and I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight if – do you think something might have happened to him?”

“Like what? You mean an accident?”

But now Burt was thinking of other possibilities.

“I don’t know. I’m sure you’ve talked to Rachel or Santana…”

“Yeah, they know to call me as soon as he shows up.”

“Mr. Hummel –“

“Burt,” he said distractedly.

“Very well, Burt. What time was his flight due in?”

“Uh, about 10:00 last night.”

“Last night? I didn’t see him at school today, but I thought maybe he was avoiding me. Though he also missed rehearsal this afternoon.”

“Rehearsal? For what?”

“Our show choir. Didn’t Kurt tell you he joined?”

“Uh, no, he – no.” Burt was starting to realize maybe there were a lot of things Kurt wasn’t telling him. He began to have a twinge of sympathy for the Andersons. But Adam was talking again.

“Have you called the hospitals? The police?”

Burt couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of those things.

“No. Do you know if I’m still his emergency contact, if something happened to him?”

“That would be me. Unless he changed that since he left,” Adam told him quietly.

“You? What about his roommates? Rachel and Santana would be more logical.”

“Burt, I don’t mean this to be rude, but you’ve met those girls, yes? Do either of them strike you as being particularly responsible for other people, or willing to take time from their lives to help Kurt out?”

“Of course they would.”

“Mm, not the ones I met.”

Burt realized what Adam had just said. “And Kurt trusted you, thought you would be responsible and drop everything to help him?”

“Of course. He knows I would.”

It was said so matter-of-factly, Burt had to believe him.

“If it will make you feel better,” Adam continued, “I’d be the one contacted if there were a problem. I’ll make some calls to check, in case he lost his wallet or something.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Burt protested.

“How are you going to find the names and numbers of local hospitals? No offense, but Kurt said you weren’t very computer savvy.”

“Uh…my stepson might be able to help, but he’s staying in the dorm at college.”

Adam sighed quietly. “Please let me help. I’ll do some research, and make some calls. I’ll let you know the moment I find out anything. If I find out anything before you do. I’m sure he’ll call you before he’d call me.”

Now Burt was feeling even worse. “Look, I don’t know what went on with you two – or didn’t. But Kurt was pretty upset when he left, and I just thought maybe he might have talked to you.”

“Upset about what? Having to leave Blaine when they’d just gotten engaged? I guess that would be hard to do.”

“How do you know about the engagement?”

“Rachel couldn’t keep the news to herself. In fact, she told pretty much everyone at NYADA.”

“But it’s only been one day!” Burt protested. “Did she even have time to go to school today?”

“She didn’t need to. The NYADA chat rooms are largely used for gossip. We all go there now and again to look for possibly interesting news, and see a ton of gossip instead, most of the time. So that’s how I found out.”

Burt bit his lip. He was suddenly angry with Kurt for not at least calling to tell Adam in person. But maybe he’d thought Adam wouldn’t care, if they’d broken up or whatever?

“I’m sorry. Kurt’s not always the best at communicating. Thank you for your help. I’m gonna try a few more numbers and see what I can come up with.”

“Right. I’ll tell you as soon as I have anything to tell.”

“Um, don’t you have homework, or practice, or a job or something you should be doing?”

“This is my night off work. I’m pretty well caught up on everything school-related, for the moment. I’ll be happy to make some calls of my own.”

“Thanks. Hey, Adam, one last thing. If you’d had to work tonight, what then?”

“I’d have told my boss I had a family emergency and would have to take some time off, at least for the rest of this shift.”

“Family emergency?”

“Well, Kurt might not think of me that way, but all the Apples – the others in our show choir – they’re my family here in the States.”

“I see. Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

“It’s quite all right. Thank you for letting me know.”

Burt hung up the phone, deep in thought. Despite the polite words and tone, he could hear the worry in this fellow’s voice. He seemed more concerned about Kurt than either Blaine or Rachel. Huh.

 

<><><><><><><><><><>

 

After dinner, Burt kept checking his cell phone, the house phone, and his e-mail, but had heard nothing from Kurt.

“Honey, didn’t you say Kurt looked upset before the proposal, and didn’t seem that sure about it?” Carole asked.

“Well, yeah, I told him he looked like he was going to his execution. He was nervous, and joked about wanting another option besides yes, no, or maybe. But when Blaine asked him to marry him, he said yes. He could have said no, or ask me later. But he didn’t, he just said yes.”

“Burt, how many people were there?”

“I dunno… 4 show choirs, maybe some other friends of Blaine’s, teachers… maybe 50 or 60 people.”

Carole clucked her tongue. “Think about it. With all those people there, because Blaine asked them to be, they were clearly expecting a yes answer. If Kurt had said no, it would have not only made Blaine look foolish, but would make Kurt look bad, like he didn’t care about his feelings.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Burt, I know I’m not Kurt’s actual mother, and I don’t know him as well as you do. But it seems to me he’s very concerned about not hurting other people, even if it means making some kind of sacrifice himself to do it.”

“Yeah, but it’s hardly a sacrifice to marry Blaine! He loves the guy.”

“Maybe he does. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he wants to marry him. Burt, they’re so young. Blaine isn’t even out of high school yet.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like they’re getting married next week or anything.”

“Honey, do you remember when Finn and Rachel were graduating, and wanted to get married? Remember how you schemed with her parents to scare them out of it? Because we all thought they were too young?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Well, what’s the difference here? Kurt isn’t that much older than Finn was, and he and Rachel had been going out on and off for a few years. Kurt and Blaine have been broken up for months. This seems like it just came out of the blue.”

“Yeah, but Kurt and Blaine are more mature than Finn and Rachel were. I’m sorry, honey, but it’s true.”

“I’ll agree Kurt is more mature, but Blaine? No. He’s always struck me as a very spoiled young man who has no idea what it’s going to be like living in the real world, when his parents are no longer supporting him.”

“Well, I hope he doesn’t expect Kurt to drop out of school and support them both,” Burt joked. At least, he hoped it was a joke.

He called Blaine again. He wasn’t going to say a word about Adam, just let him know they hadn’t heard from Kurt yet.

But Blaine was still in a bad mood.

“I can’t believe you told my parents! I had everything all planned out, exactly what I would say, and they would say, and my counter-arguments…”

“Then you knew they wouldn’t approve? Blaine, your dad didn’t even know you were dating Kurt!”

“Of course he didn’t! I was going to break it to them slowly.”

“You mean, you were going to just spring it on them that you’re getting married, to another guy, who you’ve been secretly dating for a couple of years?”

“You make it sound like that’s a bad way to do it,” Blaine whined.

“It is,” he answered bluntly. “But it’s not my call. Look, I just wanted to let you know I haven’t heard from Kurt.”

“Ohhh, that Kurt. Always so irresponsible about things like returning phone calls and texts and e-mails…”

“Not with me, he isn’t,” Burt informed him.

“Uh, well, look, I’ve got a ton of homework, and a new song to memorize, and my parents have grounded me, so I’m missing three different club meetings tonight.”

Burt sighed, wishing he had Blaine’s problems. “One last thing, Blaine. When do you think you and Kurt might be getting married?”

“Oh, as soon as I get to New York. Well, we might need a little more time. I know Kurt’s going to want to plan all the details out to have the perfect wedding.”

“Uh-huh. And how are you going to support yourselves?”

“Well, Kurt’s got two jobs, at Vogue.com and some restaurant, so I’m sure when he quits school and starts working full-time with one job, and part-time with the other, it’ll be enough for us to get by.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Does Kurt know you expect him to drop out of school to support you both?”

“I guess we haven’t gotten around to discussing it yet, but I’m sure he’s figured it out. He’ll have had a semester at NYADA, so he’ll have that out of his system, and then I’ll be able to focus on my career. I won’t be able to work, because I’ll need to spend all my time rehearsing, and networking with friends, and things like that. But Kurt won’t need a degree from NYADA to keep working at Vogue.”

“Oh, really? Are you sure that’s what he wants to do with his life?”

“Well, come on,” Blaine laughed. “It’s not like he’s ever going to get a major role on Broadway. He can maybe get a job in a chorus or something here or there, but I’m going to be the star of the family. He’ll only have to be the breadwinner for four years…maybe longer, if I decide to go to NYADA’s graduate school. But as soon as I start raking in the money from my starring roles on Broadway, Kurt can just concentrate on cooking, taking care of the apartment – or maybe it’ll be a house by then – doing the laundry, that kind of thing.”

“So you expect him to play some kind of housewife to your Broadway superstar, is that it?” Burt couldn’t keep the anger from his voice.

“Well, it’s not quite like that,” Blaine protested. “Though the thought of Kurt in one of those little French maid outfits –“ Blaine cleared his throat. “Um, never mind. Anyway, I have to go. Tell Kurt to call me, will you? I swear, I’m going to have to teach that boy a lesson about being responsible. Sometimes he’s just so silly, his head in the clouds, daydreaming about things that are never going to happen for him. But he’ll get more realistic, once we’re together again.”

Burt wanted to reach through the phone and slap Blaine, but he settled for mumbling a goodbye and hanging up.

“Carole, I’m sorry honey, I think I’m going to have to get a flight to New York. Kurt and I have a lot of talking to do, as soon as I find him.”

“You haven’t heard from Adam?”

“Not yet. Maybe he found something else more important to do,” Burt sighed.

Carole shook her head, but kept her thoughts to herself.

While Burt was packing, Adam called, to tell him he’d called all the hospitals between the airport and Kurt’s loft in Bushwick, and nobody with his name or general description had been admitted. The various police precincts he’d called hadn’t been able to provide any information, either.

“Well, that’s good news, right?” Burt suggested. “Look, Adam, thanks for all you’ve done. I’m going to catch the first flight I can get. I need to find where Kurt is, and talk to him about some things. I think maybe neither of us has done a very good job of talking to each other lately.”

“Please let me know if there’s anything more I can do to help,” Adam insisted. “I’m quite worried about him.”

“I’m sure if there was something really wrong, we’d have heard by now. I’m going to New York as soon as I can. If I find out anything, I’ll call you in the morning.”

“Please call me as soon as you can, even if it’s the middle of the night. I need to know he’s okay.”

“Okay, will do. Thanks again.”

“You’re entirely welcome. Good night.”

 

<><><><><><><><><><>

 

Burt had tried to sleep on the plane, but his mind wouldn’t stop going over all this new information he’d gotten, and new interpretations of things he thought he knew. How could Blaine not tell his parents he was even dating Kurt, let alone that he wanted to marry him? What kind of idiot would go through all this planning, while still in high school, without asking his parents? Why ask his opinion, and not his own father’s? Probably because he knew his dad would say no. 

Just the thought that Blaine expected Kurt to drop out of school, after one semester, to support them both, and tend to him like a 1950’s housewife, made Burt’s blood pressure rise. He tried to stay as calm as possible. He wished he’d known about Blaine’s plans. Kurt surely would have said something if he’d known, but instead, he was determined to pass his classes, like he expected to go on with school. Like he damn well should.

Kurt hadn’t looked happy at all, not the way he should have, knowing he was going to his own proposal. Even when Blaine put the ring on his finger…Burt knew that look. It wasn’t just, “Gee, thanks, Aunt Martha, for the toy tank,” but his “Sure, Dad, I’ll stop wearing my tiaras” look, like it was killing him inside. Why hadn’t he picked up on that at the time?

Burt knew he was partially to blame, for making it sound like he supported Blaine. Hell, just by driving Kurt to Dalton, knowing what Blaine had planned, he was complicit in this. And he’d made things worse by talking about how much he loved Elizabeth. He wanted Kurt to realize that when you met the love of your life, you shouldn’t waste years apart when you could be together. But who said Blaine was the love of Kurt’s life? He certainly had gone down in Burt’s estimation. Maybe he’d grow out of some of it, but it wasn’t like he’d done anything unforgivable, like cheating on Kurt, or taking advantage of him. Although he was a manipulative little bastard…

By the time his flight got in, Burt was exhausted. He didn’t want to interrupt Rachel when she was at school, but maybe Santana had heard from Kurt. He tried her number, before he tried to figure out where he would be staying.

“Oh, hi, Burt. No, Kurt’s no here. I don’t know where Lady—Uh, where he is right now, I haven’t seen him since the engagement. Wow, was that a whirlwind trip or what? But it was totally worth it to see Frodo and Sam get married at last.”

Burt didn’t know what the hell she was talking about, and who were Frodo and Sam?

“Santana, I just got in on a flight. I’m going to look for a hotel, then I’m going to start looking for Kurt. Any ideas where I should start?”

“I don’t know. Did you talk to Dr. Who yet?”

“Who?”

“Yeah, Dr. Who. The Brit. What’s his name, Adam.”

Burt shook his head, deciding he just didn’t have the patience for this.

“Yeah, and he hasn’t seen Kurt either. But he did call all the hospitals and police precincts nearby.”

“Oh, come on! We’d have heard if something happened to Lady – to Kurt. He’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.”

“I hope so. I’ll let you know if I hear from him.”

“Okay, but don’t call me at work. I can get in trouble for taking personal calls at work, they’re really uptight about that.”

“Thanks for your concern, Santana. Goodbye.”

He wondered if she’d heard the sarcasm in his voice. What was with these people? Did none of his friends give a damn that Kurt might be injured, or who knows what? The only one who really seemed to care about Kurt’s welfare was the ex-boyfriend – or whatever he was, that Adam guy.

Burt went to the Information Center at the airport to find a hotel he could afford. He was able to make a reservation from there, and they sent a shuttle to pick him up. In the meantime, he called Adam again.

Adam had been in class, but when he saw the message was from Burt, he’d held up his hand and told the teacher, “Sorry, family emergency.” The teacher seemed surprised, but nodded. Adam gathered up his things and called Burt back as soon as he got to a more private area of the school.

“I’m sorry, Burt, I was in class. Did you hear from Kurt?”

“No, Adam, sorry, I haven’t. I just got into town. I didn’t mean to take you out – where are you? Still in class?”

“No, I told the instructor it was a family emergency-related call, and I had to take it.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. I was just hoping you might have some ideas where Kurt might have gone, places I can start to look. Rachel and Santana didn’t really have any suggestions.”

“That’s not too surprising. I can tell you things like coffee shops and restaurants he likes, maybe he stopped somewhere, and – I don’t know what.”

Surely Adam had as good an imagination as he did, Burt reasoned. “It’ll be a start.”

“You might call his work, to make sure he hasn’t called in there.”

Burt wrote down the names of the places Adam gave him. “Thanks a lot, kid, you’ve – uh, sorry, habit. You don’t sound like you’re Kurt’s age.”

“No, I’m 22. I’m a senior here.”

“Really? Okay. I’ll call you as soon as I find him.”

“Please do. I’ll ask around with our friends, and see if anyone has seen him.”

“Thanks, Adam. I appreciate it.”

“Anything for Kurt. Good luck. And if you need a native guide, of sorts, I’ve been here for four years. I’ll have some time before I have to go in to work, between about 4:00 and 5:00. It’s not much time, but –“

“Tell you what. I’d really like to meet you, and maybe we can talk better in person. I was thinking I could meet you for dinner.”

Adam laughed. “Well, you can come to the restaurant where I work in the evenings, and I’ll see if I can take my dinner break early, how’s that.”

Burt wrote down the name and address of the restaurant, then let Adam get to his next class.

 

<><><><><><><><><>

 

Burt took just enough time at the hotel to check in, then shower, shave and change. The hotel had a restaurant attached, so he had a quick breakfast while he tried to work out a plan for finding Kurt. Now he was getting a message that Kurt’s voice mailbox was full. Just great.

His first stop was at Kurt’s place of work, that magazine place. He looked up at the huge building, and couldn’t help but be a little impressed that Kurt worked somewhere inside.

He read the directory in the lobby to find out where the Vogue.com offices were. He glanced down at his clothes. He didn’t exactly look like somebody who would have any business there, but at least he’d cleaned up and put on clean clothes.

He saw a young, blonde receptionist, wearing way too little, in his opinion, at the front desk. She saw him coming and held up one finger, to indicate she was on a call. When she was done, she decided Burt was worth speaking to. Or maybe that speaking to him would be the best way to get him out of her office. Either worked for Burt.

“May I help you?”

He walked closer to the desk, so he could speak to her more quietly. “Yeah. My name is Burt Hummel. My son, Kurt, works here.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I talked to you yesterday. Your son still isn’t here, so I’m still filling in for him.”

“Well, is there anyone else I can talk to? Maybe his boss?”

“I’ll ask, but I’ll bet she won’t be his boss for long.”

Burt’s temper was getting frayed, but he mentally held on to it with both hands as he waited.

“Okay then.” The girl sounded surprised. “Ms. Wright said to bring you to her office. I hope the phones don’t go crazy.”

“I hope not,” he agreed, to be polite.

Burt glanced at the phone with the huge array of buttons. Were those all separate phone lines? That must drive Kurt nuts. He followed the young woman, and the door was opened to allow him into a really nice office, with a pretty good view.

He saw another blonde woman behind the desk, but she was about twice the age of the receptionist, though she looked really good. She was starting to stand up already, and held her hand out.

“Mr. Hummel. I’m Isabelle Wright. I understand you’re looking for Kurt?”

He nodded, about to open his mouth, but Ms. Wright turned to the receptionist, who was still hanging around. “Thank you, Katy, you can go back to the phones now.”

As soon as the door was closed, she gestured to a comfortable chair in front of her desk. “Please have a seat.”

Burt sat down, wondering if he should take his hat off. But then, he wasn’t planning on staying very long.

“Ms. Wright, I don’t want to waste your time, I know you’re busy –“

“It’s fine. I not only like Kurt as an employee, but I’m fond of him as a person. Please tell me what’s going on.”

Burt took a deep breath. “I’m really concerned about Kurt. I haven’t heard from him since I left him at the airport in Ohio, two days ago. I called here to see if he’d gone in to work as soon as he got off the plane, or something. He didn’t go home, his roommates haven’t seen or heard from him, and I’m getting worried. It’s not like him to not call and let me know he got home okay.”

He realized for the first time that this might sound a bit odd, especially to Kurt’s boss. “It’s just, I know he’s capable of taking care of himself, but he worries about me, and doesn’t want me to worry about him.”

Isabelle smiled warmly, and clasped her hands in front of her on the desk. “Yes, I know he’s concerned about you. I’m glad you know you’re doing better. Kurt didn’t really tell me any details, but he called to let me know everything was fine, and he wanted permission to stay a little longer, to spend more time with you.”

Burt thought it best not to mention that Kurt had spent a lot of the last week hanging out at the school he couldn’t wait to leave, spending time with Blaine and his other friends. At least, that’s where he thought he’d been.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for that, I appreciate it.” Huh. Why would Kurt tell his boyfriend, or ex or whatever, and his boss, that his dad was okay? Why would they care? Why would he take the time to call them long-distance about that?

“Anyway,” Burt continued, “nobody seems to have heard from Kurt. I know he hasn’t been in to work here, and his roommate and best friend, Rachel, said she didn’t think he’d gone to school yesterday. I know he had a really important mid-term he had to take yesterday morning. I can’t believe he’d just blow it off, so I came here, thinking maybe something had happened to him. But a friend of his, when I called him, was really worried. He called all the hospitals and police stations, to make sure Kurt hadn’t been brought to either one.”

“Would this friend be Adam, by any chance? Tall, gorgeous blond with a lovely accent?” Isabelle’s smile was wide, her eyes bright. He thought it was rather odd that she wasn’t more worried about Kurt.

“Um, I haven’t met him or seen, him, but yeah, his name his Adam. He’s Kurt’s ex – “ He stopped short, feeling horribly guilty. “I’m sorry, I hope I’m not giving away anything I shouldn’t. You do know Kurt’s gay, right?”

“Yes. Not that it matters.” She continued to smile, waiting patiently for him to go on.

“Well, he’s almost as worried about Kurt as I am, I think. Which is better than his boyfriend – fiancé, whatever it’s called.” Burt sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, it’s just – Kurt wasn’t in the best spirits when he left, and I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

“Kurt’s just fine. Or he was this morning.”

“What?” Burt practically leaped out of the chair. “You knew all this time where he was, and you didn’t tell me? You just let me ramble on like –“

“Like a concerned father. Yes.” Now she stood too, but she was no longer smiling. “Mr. Hummel, I’d like you to come with me, to see Kurt for yourself. I’m going to call and give him a chance to wake up first. He’s been asleep for almost 24 hours now.”

“What? Did you drug him or something?”

Her eyes flashed and her lips thinned. “No. I gave him some aspirin for his headache. He’s been asleep all this time because he’s exhausted. I’ll explain on the way to my place.”

“He’s staying at your place?”

“Of course.” She whipped out her cellphone and dialed. “Kurt, Isabelle. I’m sorry to wake you up…It’s eleven o’clock in the morning. No, that was yesterday. Kurt, your father is here, in my office, and he’s very worried about you.” She handed the phone over to Burt. He could hear Kurt’s panic-stricken voice still talking to her.

“Hey, buddy, I’m here. I was worried when I didn’t hear from you. You’re okay? Yeah, I guess I’ll see you in a little while. Ms. Wright said she has some things to explain to me on the way over. Okay, love you, too. See you soon.”

He handed the phone back to Isabelle. She listened to Kurt a moment. “Sure, you’ve got time for a shower. I’ll drive slowly. Make some coffee, if you want. I’ll fix lunch for us while you and your dad talk.”

Burt followed Isabelle out. She told Katy she would be taking a very long lunch, but she would call if she wasn’t coming back at all.

Katy’s jaw dropped, then her cheeks colored and she gritted her teeth as she said, “Of course, Ms. Wright.”

“I gotta call Carole,” Burt remembered, “my wife. She’s worried about the kid, too.”

“Glad some people are,” Isabelle muttered.

 

<><><><><><><><><>

 

Burt didn’t even bother sightseeing, not paying much attention to what was going on outside the window. He wanted to be able to focus on whatever Isabelle had to tell him.

“I’ll try to make this as brief and simple as I can. Kurt called me from the airport last night. I’d left a message on his phone while he was in the air, asking if he’d be back in time to come into work in the morning. He said he had an exam that he had to take, but he’d come in as soon as he could. He sounded terrible, like he was on the verge of crying. He started to say he was fine, but he couldn’t get through the sentence before his voice broke. I asked if he had someone he could talk to, Rachel or Adam, or even Santana. He was having a hard time breathing, trying so hard not to cry. I told him to wait at one of the late-night restaurants there at the airport and get something to eat, and I’d meet him there. He wasn’t really ready to talk, but he did eat a little bit. He wasn’t ready to go home to Rachel or Santana, and didn’t want to talk to Adam, so I brought him home with me.”

“That was awfully nice of you –“

“Please don’t interrupt,” she snapped. “But somebody’s got to be nice to that young man.” Her voice softened as she continued. “He was so tired. I don’t have a guest room, but I let him have the couch, and some sheets and a couple of blankets. I’ve left him notes in case he wakes up, but he’s been asleep the whole time, I think. We talked for a while, because he wasn’t tired enough to go to sleep at first. He was too keyed up. I told him I’d drive him to NYADA in the morning for his exam, but I didn’t have the heart to wake him up. I have some friends in high places there, though, and I made it clear Kurt was too sick to come in to work for me, or to take his exam, and if they would postpone it until he wasn’t throwing up all over the place, we’d all be happier. I made it clear he had a terrible case of the flu, so they wouldn’t think he was drunk.”

Burt appreciated her thoughtfulness, but was still puzzled. It seemed wiser to keep his mouth shut.

“I’d heard about Kurt’s break-up with Blaine, shortly after it happened. I told him, perhaps wrongly, that it would be easier for him to get over it if he forgave Blaine.”

“Forgave him for what? All Kurt said was there were too many problems with them being in different states.”

“True. Including Blaine’s inability to keep his dick in his pants.”

“What?”

“He cheated on Kurt, and he has no idea who Blaine cheated with. Then Blaine had the gall to blame it on Kurt.”

“Why would it be his fault?”

“I guess Blaine was suffering from blue balls, because Kurt had been away for a few weeks, and he just couldn’t wait. You’ll have to ask Kurt for the rest. But he seemed angry Kurt had left him.”

“But Blaine told him to leave! So did I.”

Isabelle shrugged. “Guess Blaine changed his mind. Then, a few days ago, he tried to tell Kurt that he thought when Kurt left, it meant they were over for good, so it wasn’t really cheating.”

“And what did Kurt say about that?”

“He said he didn’t want to cause problems, so he just kept quiet. Burt, he was so sad. No-one should look like that when they’ve just gotten engaged to the love of their life, their soulmate.” She almost spat the words out.

“When I drove him to the surprise engagement party –“ Now that he said it aloud, it sounded really weird to him. “I told him he looked like he was going to his execution. He figured out where I was taking him. Anyway, we talked a bit, and I thought he was doing okay.”

“Burt, he said he asked you if there were any options besides yes, no or maybe. Does that sound like someone who’s ready to hear a proposal, or answer one?”

“He’s an adult, he can figure things out for himself!”

“Then why did you try to guilt-trip him into saying yes, by talking about his dead mother and how you wish you’d had more time with her? Were you trying to imply he should get married as soon as possible so he wouldn’t feel guilty if Blaine died?”

“Of course not!”

“Well, that’s how he interpreted it. Maybe you can get things straightened out now that you can talk without Blaine being around to mess things up. It sounds like he’s interfered a lot in your relationship with Kurt.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Kurt and I get along just fine.”

“Ask him. I think you two have a lot of talking to do. By the way, don’t you think you should call Adam and tell him Kurt’s okay?”

Burt swore, then apologized, as he called Adam back and briefly explained.

It sounded like it was a good thing he’d called.

“I didn’t know what to do. I lo—I care about Kurt, quite a bit.”

“Well, thanks for, um, caring. I’d better get going, we’re probably going to be there soon.” He put his phone away and glanced over at Isabelle. She did not look happy.

“How do you know Adam?”

“Kurt brought him to an event we had, a little holiday office party. I thought he was quite a catch, and Kurt seemed to think so, too, at the time.”

“Wonder what happened?”

“Ask Kurt,” she snapped. “I’ve probably already told you more than I should.”

Burt was silent the rest of the way, wondering how things could have gotten so out of control.

“What about Blaine? Are you going to call him?”

“No. I think I’ll let Kurt do that.”

 

<><><><><><><><><><><>

 

Kurt greeted them as soon as they got inside Isabelle’s apartment. He was dressed nicely, but he’d definitely been crying. They hugged as though they hadn’t seen each other in months. 

“Kurt, I don’t want you to worry about your exam,” Isabelle started.

“I know, I read your notes. Thank you so much. I had no idea you knew Madame Thibodeaux!”

“Oh, yes, we go way back.” Isabelle had a tight smile. “Let’s just say she owed me a favor. Now, why don’t you both make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll fix us lunch. I’m sorry there’s not more privacy, but if you’d like to talk in my bedroom and shut the door, you can.”

“Thanks, Isabelle, I appreciate it.” Kurt kissed her on the cheek, then led Burt to the small bedroom.

“Kurt, I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just go home?”

“I couldn’t face Rachel and Santana. They looked and acted so happy, like they actually thought it was something I wanted.”

“Don’t you?”

Kurt was silent. He glanced down at the ring on his finger, and twisted it a bit, then put his hands in his lap. “I’m not sure. I don’t think so. I just felt so betrayed, Dad!”

“By who?”

“Everyone! Blaine, with his manipulative game-playing, and Rachel and all my supposed friends for going along with it, putting that pressure on me to not screw up and humiliate us both. And you, Dad.”

“Me? What did I do?” But Burt was starting to realize he may have done much more than he realized.

“We have a lot to talk about, Dad.”

“No kidding.”

After too short a time, Isabelle knocked on the door and told them lunch was ready.

They were mostly silent as they ate the sandwiches she had prepared. As soon as they were through, Isabelle cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry, guys, but I really do need to get back to work. Kurt, I know you’ve got things to do today, and you’re going to have to catch up with things at school. Call me tomorrow and let me know when you can put in a few hours, though, okay?”

“Sure, Isabelle. I’m so sorry. And thank you, for everything you’ve done.”

“It’s no problem. That’s what fairy godmothers are for.” 

She smiled, though Burt didn’t know what she was talking about. “You can stay here and keep talking if you want –“

“Nah, I’ve got a hotel room. We can go there and talk. Probably quieter than the loft.”

Kurt agreed.

“Why don’t I drop you off at the hotel? Is it in Bushwick?”

“Near there, I think.” Burt looked at the card from the hotel, and Isabelle was familiar with it. 

“I’ll take you there. You can’t have much of a private conversation on public transportation.”

She turned on the radio in the car, so they could all pretend to be listening to it, instead of thinking a variety of uncomfortable thoughts.

 

<><><><><><><><><><><>

 

Kurt thought things were going pretty well, under the circumstances. 

“Kurt, I wish you’d told me this stuff earlier. Like Blaine cheating –“

“I didn’t want to upset you,” Kurt protested. “Besides, it’s kind of humiliating to talk about.”

“Hey, I was thinking, maybe you’d better call Blaine, let him know you’re okay.”

“Tell me, Dad, was he worried about me?”

“Um… Gotta be honest, kid, he was pretty upset that I called his parents to talk about our respective roles in the wedding. He has some interesting idea as to which family should pay for the wedding.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “And I suppose he expected you to act as the bride’s parents?”

“Yep.”

Kurt sighed, but a mischievous light came into his eyes. “I’ve got a few things to say to Blaine, but I need to make sure I can use small enough words he’ll understand.” He grabbed his phone and checked. “Huh, all my phone messages are from you. Let’s see…no text messages from Blaine…no e-mail.”

“Really? He didn’t try to contact you?”

“Nope. Wonder if that means the engagement’s off?” Kurt asked wistfully.

“It is if you say it is,” Burt reminded him.

“I’ll call him. Then there’s someone else I need to talk to.”

“Um, if you mean Adam, that might be a good idea. I was going to meet him tonight at that restaurant he works at, at 6:30, for dinner.”

Kurt grinned. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Nope. And I have a feeling he won’t mind, either.”

Burt stood up. “I’m, uh, gonna be in the bathroom a while, if you want to talk to Blaine privately.”

Kurt nodded. “Thanks.”

He took a few minutes to think about what he wanted to say.

“Blaine, we need to talk.”

“Kurt! Finally! Your dad’s been worried about you, and he keeps calling me, even though I told him I haven’t heard from you. Do you know what he did? He actually told my dad about the engagement, like he thought he already knew!”

“I’m fine, Blaine, thanks for asking.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, glad to know your dad found you. Where were you?”

“Staying with a friend, so I could have some time to think. So, Blaine, why didn’t your dad even know we were dating?”

He listened to the rambling reply, which put most of the blame at his own door, for being a little too flamboyant for his dad’s liking.

“And speaking of that, Kurt, I think we might have made a mistake. Maybe we were a little hasty getting engaged.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Really? What makes you think that? Have you met someone else already?”

“Um, well, not exactly. But Sebastian took me out for a drink after you left, and we were talking, and you know how these things go, Kurt! I was drunk, and he’s the one who came on to me, and it was your fault anyway for leaving again! Why couldn’t you just stay here and wait till I graduate?”

Kurt rapidly thought of several responses, but settled on, “Then we’re agreed, the engagement is off. I’ll give the ring to my dad to give to you next time he sees you. Have a nice life, Blaine.” He hung up while his ex-fiance was still whining and blaming him for everything under the sun.

He decided some flowers were in order. For Isabelle, for being an awesome human being, as well as the best fairy godmother in the world. And for Sebastian, for being his usual self. And being more helpful than he knew.

 

<><><><><><><><><><>

 

Kurt was nervous about his dad and Adam meeting, and had been thinking all afternoon about the best way to apologize and ask for Adam’s forgiveness. He hadn’t even really explained, just told him he needed more time, but he hadn’t spelled it out, that he didn’t want to date him anymore. When his father told him about Rachel’s eagerness to tell the world of NYADA about his new status as an engaged man, he cringed.

“Oh, God. I’ll bet Adam was –“ He struggled to think of the right word.

“Devastated,” his dad supplied.

“Yeah, that. And the Apples are going to kill me! But I deserve it.” He covered his face with his hands.

“Hey, kiddo, it might not be that bad. But I think maybe we all need to work on our communication skills a little bit. Or a lot,” Burt sighed.

Burt did give Adam some notice that there would be three for dinner that night, then they splurged on a taxi.

Adam looked like he wanted to hug him, but they were in public, and, well, he hadn’t exactly given the impression he was huggable anymore. Kurt settled for squeezing Adam’s hand, and rubbing his thumb over the back of it. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Adam insisted. He was wearing his red, black and white uniform. Kurt still thought it was amazing how they’d all managed to find work at the same restaurant.

He turned to his father. “You were right, Dad, we never know how much time we have. And this made me realize, however much time I have on this earth, I don’t want to spend it with Blaine.”

Burt glanced at Adam and saw his gaze soften. Kurt reached out and took Adam’s hand. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. I’ve been so confused, about a lot of things. But I’d like a second chance, if you’ll let me. Can we just be friends for a while, until I get my head together?”

“Of course, Kurt. Being friends is just fine. If that’s all you ever want, I’ll be happy. But if one day you want more…well, I think we both need to get to know each other a lot better. I’m getting the feeling I haven’t really met the real you yet.”

“Maybe not, but as soon as I find him, I’ll introduce you,” Kurt grinned.

Burt relaxed, knowing his son was in better hands than he’d have been if he’d stayed with Blaine.

“So, uh, what did you tell Blaine?” Burt asked. “If it’s okay to ask.”

Kurt took the ring out of his pocket. “Would you give this back to him for me? I won’t be needing it. Let’s just say it was a mutual agreement, and I think I owe Sebastian a huge bouquet. Well, maybe something more appropriate. I hope he and Blaine will be very happy together.”

“Sebastian? Is that the guy who caused so much trouble before?”

“Yep, Amazing how some things come full circle.”

Adam whispered a suggestion in his ear and Kurt laughed. “That would be a better idea.”

“Do I want to know?” Burt asked uneasily.

“Don’t think so.” Kurt was grinning at the thought of a gift basket of condoms. 

“I’m sorry to cut things so short, but I’ve got to get back to work,” Adam said regretfully.

“Thanks for all your help, Adam. You made things a little bit easier.”

“Happy to help.”

“I think Kurt and I are about talked out, but you want to show me your routine for your exam?” Burt asked his son. “I know you need to practice. I might not know if it’s right, but I’ll probably be able to tell if it’s really wrong, if you hit a bum note or something.”

“Not bloody likely,” Adam murmured. He grinned at Kurt. “See you soon. Maybe we can bake some more cookies.”

He walked away as Kurt laughed.

“Does be bake, too?” Burt asked, impressed. “Or is that like a secret code for something else?”

“No, actual home-made cookies,” Kurt sighed. “One of many things we have in common.”

Before Burt left the next morning, he hugged Kurt tightly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t really listening to you. But I don’t want you to hide things from me either. If it’s really none of my business, fine, but don’t worry about anything you say upsetting me. I think I’d have been a lot less upset if I’d been more up-front with you. In fact, if I’d known that little bastard was cheating on you, I never would have believed another word from him. And I won’t, from now on.”

“Probably a good idea. I don’t plan on talking to him again, either,” Kurt agreed.

“By the way, that Santana chick said something I just didn’t understand. Who are Frodo and Sam, and why would they be getting engaged?”

**Author's Note:**

> See second story, "And I Do Appreciate You Bein' 'Round".


End file.
